The filmmaker last directed a Tamil film in 2010

Actor-filmmaker Ramesh Aravind, who is awaiting the release of his Tamil directorial debut Uttama Villain, says he would like to make more films in the language as he feels he has stayed away from the industry for too long.

Kamal Haasan, who has penned the script of Uttama Villain, had asked Ramesh to direct the film.

“I’ve been extremely busy in the Kannada industry. Thanks to Kamal Haasan, I’ve got a chance to return to Tamil industry and direct a film. I would like to do this more often. I plan to direct more Tamil films in the future,” Ramesh told IANS.

Ramesh was last seen in 2010 Tamil film Manmadhan Ambu, also featuring Kamal.

“I’ve always wanted to work in Tamil industry too, but I’ve had my hands full in Kannada all these years. This time, I plan to be associated with the industry for a long time,” he said.

Over the years, Ramesh has starred in several memorable Tamil films as Duet, Keladi Kanmani and Rhythm.

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle, whose acting debut Mai releases on February 1, says it was imperative for her to carve her own identity and that she is still not able to escape comparisons with her Didi

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle, known for crooning a variety of songs during her over six decade-old career, admits she still faces comparisons with her elder sister, singer Lata Mangeshkar. But at the moment, she is rejoicing over the compliments that Lata has heaped on her.

“It felt good to hear her say in her interview that she can’t sing what I can. But I disagree with her,” Asha said. “I feel if she wanted to sing my kind of songs, she would have. But she didn’t want to. She didn’t have to. She got to sing all the songs for the heroines, so she didn’t have to sing for the other female characters in a film. I got those songs. And I made the best of them,” said the 80-year-old, who sung romantic songs, cabarets and ghazals.

Recalling her days of struggle, Asha, whose acting debut Mai is now set to release Friday, said: “When there was already a Taj Mahal, I came to build another one. Bahut mushkil tha (It was tough). Who would want to go to another singer when there was already a Lata Mangeshkar? On top of that, I was her younger sister. Hamesha humein ek tarazu mein tola gaya (We were always compared on the same scale)… It was very tough for me to escape all these hurdles. I still haven’t escaped those comparisons.”

She says it was imperative for her to carve her own identity. “Didi and I had to be different singers. Copying her would have meant the end of my career even before it started. No one would have entertained a copy of Didi. Just as long as Kishore Kumar was there, no other male voice stood a chance. I first had to get songs that were comparable with Didi’s. I had to cultivate a Western style of singing. I had no choice. I had to be prepared to do any kind of song that was offered to me. Didi became instantaneously successful. Plus there were other singers like Geeta Dutt,” she said.

Talking about the new generation of singers, Asha said: “The world has moved on. Earlier, the female singer sang at a high pitch and the male singer at a low pitch. Now that has been reversed. There’s no time for slow soft sentimental songs.”

But she adds, “No point in clinging to the past and pining for nostalgia. If you remember happy occasions, whether it is the mehndi ceremony or a wedding, they have always been celebrated with songs. Every individual wants to dance and sing. Rhythm ka zamana hai (Rhythm rules). No one listens to the words. You can’t stop the world from moving on. If you try, you’ll get left behind.”

Tamil actor SN Lakshmi passed away in Chennai, Monday morning. According to family members, the veteran actor died due to cardiac arrest. She was often seen playing the role of grandmother and mother-in-law in films. Lakshmi has a filmograhy of over 1,000 films to her credit. She made her debut in 1948 with Chandralekha where she essayed the role of a dancer. She gave a brilliant performance as Kamal Haasan’s mother-in-law in Mahanadi. Some of her other memorable appearances were in Michael Madhana Kamarajan, Kadhala Kadhala and Rhythm. The actor has often shared screen with legendary actors like MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith and Vijay. Lakshmi has also done several television soaps. The 85-year-old actor’s body will be kept at her Saligrammam residence and the cremation is set to take place at her native in Virudhunagar on Tuesday.